mystery Deringer? rifle

[Andy Anderson]

Howdy boys!
I have a rifle that has been a mystery for years. It looks like a "ohio" style with walnut stock, about .35 and with brass furniture, half stock. It is marked "Deringer"  and underneath this :"Philadel", on the top of the barrel and same on the lock. Its been in the family since 1960.

Anybody seen something like this before?

Andy

[sse]

No, but I'd sure love it if you could put up a picture of it....

[cb]

Henry Deringer of Philadelphia, PA was one of the most prolific rifle and pistol makers of the first half of the 19th Century. It was one of his company's pocket pistols that was used by Boothe to assassinate President Lincoln.
He was one of the earliest/original suppliers of rifles to the western Indian trade as well as rifles to the US military.
They also made rifles for the "local" trade which is what it sounds like you have. Half-stock rifles became popular in the 1830's here in the states and remained so through the rest of the muzzleloading era.
The name is often misspelled Derringer, which was used by other makers producing knock offs his pistols in particular.

[rollingb]

Yep,... what CB said.

[chuckpa]

Henry Deringer did make rifles, trade guns and military guns in Philadelphia Pa. His son Henry Deringer upheld his fathers reputation as a gunmaker and worked in Philadelphia from 1820 to 1840. The sons mark was H DERINGER PHILADA. I used the term trade guns however many were Indian trade rifles. The information which I gave you I got from "Guns On The Early Frontiers" by Carl P Russell printed by Barnes & Nobel Inc. 1996. I hope this helps there should be a lot of information in other references on the Deringers and their guns.

[Andy Anderson]

Thanks for the info Fellers,
I am using it as a pattern to make a larger version as a full stock plains rifle. The Deringer looks kinda like a scaled down Hawkin. The rifle I am building has walnut and brass just like this one and I found a trigger guard similar to it. Should be a real looker too! The brass and walnut sure go good together!!
I will send some pix as soon as I can find out how to do it!

Andy

[Mule Brain]

Yup!

What others have said, and he was a real good builder too!

Please post pics of this rifle, for the free information you just got